Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or anything related to the show. My apologies to the show creators and writers for defiling their precious work…but a week is simply too long to wait for new Chuck goodness…so I'm improvising!

Author's Note: It seems poetic and fitting that you've all been waiting for weeks to get this next chapter and then, when I finally finish it up, freaks out and for two days I was unable to upload the chapter it took me so long to write. If your frustration in waiting resembled anything like mine these past 48 hours, then I beg your forgiveness and offer this chapter as a sign of good faith.

Chapter 6

Sarah smiles into the pillow beneath her and sits up suddenly alert because Chuck, not Egyptian cotton, should be beneath her right now.

"Morning sleepy head," Chuck chirps the sentence out and his grin widens at Sarah's disheveled and altogether confused look. He finishes tying his Converse high tops and takes a step back over to the bed, bending down to kiss her crinkled forehead before capturing her lips in a slow welcome to the day. "You know I agonized for ten minutes about the best way to get out of bed without waking you? I figured there was no way I'd be able to sneak out of the arms of the CIA's finest agent." He chuckles lightly, "Imagine my disappointment when all I had to do was the old hug-and-roll trick. I didn't even disrupt the pattern of your snoring."

"Hey!" Sarah swats at his chest, "I do not snore!"

"Oh really…I bet we can ask Casey for some of his surveillance tapes and put that matter to rest this morning."

It takes a moment for the fog to lift before Sarah catches the implications buried in that statement. "You're planning on seeing Casey this morning?"

"We," Chuck emphasizes, "We have a meeting set up with Casey and the General at 10am."

That's just a little over two hours from now. Sarah sighs, "Chuck, you aren't still planning to appeal to Beckman's soft side are you? Because it doesn't exist, the woman is a stone. She would never have made it to the top of the NSA, if she wasn't." There's a definite edge of pleading to her voice, but her concern for Chuck's safety overrides her pride, "And if you think threats, like withholding key intel or refusing to cooperate, are going to work, then we're in big trouble."

Chuck clasps her hands within his, "Sarah, I have an idea on how to make this work, BUT I can't tell you what it entails." He overrides her immediate interruption with a quick peck, "I need you to trust me Sarah."

There's no teasing edge to his voice, for one of the few times she can recall, Chuck Bartowski is being completely serious. "Of course I trust you Chuck, but I also know you! You have this endearing, yet perilous habit of endangering yourself to protect people you love."

"Yes, I do." He concedes, "And you have every right to be worried because I love you more than anyone else in this world, Sarah." He rubs his thumb across her cheek, "But that's exactly why you can't know what I'm going to do…it's for the protection of both of us. Some of the things I'm going to do and say, you're not going to like, but I need you to keep it together. Are you with me?"

"I'm always with you." This conversation is eerily reminiscent of that morning on the beach so long ago. Chuck gave his trust to her then, and finally after 18 months of his strength and patience, she's capable of demonstrating the same kind of complete faith in him now. Well almost, "You've got an actual plan though; I mean you're not going to walk into the Castle and just tell Beckman that love conquers all, right?"

Chuck beams at her, equal parts amused and impressed, "A little something more than that, but you've got the basic principle." He leans down to steal a quick kiss before heading out, but she holds him captive until he's breathless. "I've got to go." She pouts adorably and her lower lip, which is thrust out petulantly, is grazing the corner of his mouth in the most tantalizing manner.

She watches his resolve crumble and smiles wickedly when his hands encircle her waist as they fall back onto the bed. The stubble along his cheek tickles her neck as she tilts her head to give him a better angle on that oversensitive spot below her ear. She smiles contentedly, if nothing else, it's going to be a fantastic morning.

"Mr. Bartowski, you requested this meeting and judging by the group in attendance," her gaze travels over the trio, lingering on Agent Walker as she continues, "I have a fairly good idea of nature of your upcoming protest."

"With all due respect General Beckman, I don't think you do." Chuck draws on his Charles Carmichael alter ego to inject his next words with confidence and sincerity, "I didn't ask for this conference to dispute your decision to pull Agent Walker from our field team." The astonished look that crosses her traditionally stoic face would be funny if not for the gravity of the situation. She nods slightly, granting him permission to continue, "I think it's clear from yesterday's incident that the nature of our long-term cover relationship has eroded some of the professional barriers that Agent Walker and I built up over the past year and half. The problem is Sir, that I have no doubt that the same thing would happen if you assigned me a new handler."

"I'm not following."

But Sarah is…and an irrational bout of jealously spikes through her. She takes a measured breath, unlocking her tensed muscles on the exhale and reminding herself that Chuck warned her about this possibility this morning. Still, the insinuation that Chuck's ardor for her could be replicated with her replacement touches a nerve.

"The problem isn't Agent Walker, General, it's me. I'm a civilian, not an agent…I can't turn my emotions on and off at the drop of a hat. And the resources needed to provide me with the proper training to do so, would probably draw undue attention to the Intersect project."

"Mr. Bartowski," a condescending smile creeps across her lips, "You're making the rather large assumption that every female agent we send out will be compromised by your charms."

The implied dig at his partner's professionalism doesn't go unnoticed by himself or Walker. Personally Casey has no trouble believing that this cycle could repeat itself…that is, it could if Chuck wasn't so head-up-his-ass in love with Walker. It makes him wonder what the kid's playing at with this speech.

"My role as the Intersect precludes me from having any real relationships which makes me susceptible to forming unhealthy attachments to my handler." Chuck tries not to cringe at how clinical that sounded. He clears his throat and allows his natural cadence to shine through, "Regardless of the other agent's feelings, my emotions are going to compromise the team's effectiveness."

"Well given that you recognize this personality fault, you should be able to rectify the situation."

The exasperation in her tone sends a chord of pride ringing through Chuck's body. "You'd think so," he doesn't try to hide the self-deprecating smile that blooms, "but if that type of self-improvement was within my power General, I wouldn't be working at the Buy More."

That gives her pause. Despite the asset's obvious intelligence, his lack of discipline makes him unpredictable; today being a prime example. She fully expected a heart-felt plea or exposition of love, not acceptance. But then, he never really said he agreed with her mandate, just that he wouldn't fight it. "You obviously have some opinion about this Mr. Bartowski, so let's skip the formalities. What are you proposing?"

"That Agent Walker remains on the team as my girlfriend while we assimilate the new handler. After a year and a half relationship, my friends and family are not going to buy that I would dump Sarah and pick up with a new girl right away."

Diane Beckman frowns deeply, "Well you'll just have to sell it Mr. Bartowski because the CIA can't afford to have two of their best female agents assigned to this project."

Casey grunts in Chuck's general direction, "General, with all due respect, the Asset pined over his last girlfriend for half a decade; there's a great deal of validity to Chuck's point. As to personnel allocation, is there any assignment more important to our agencies than the Intersect?" That earns him a cold glare, but John holds his ground. He's still not sure where this is going, but he believes in the Intersect project and in his team. "I think a trial period with the new CIA agent would be advisable."

"I'm not adverse to a probationary period Major Casey," her sharp eyes turn to the other agent, "but rather the segregation of duties. Agent Walker has already demonstrated an alarming degree of personal interest in the Intersect and I'm concerned about amplifying her exposure."

Sarah knows with that comment that there's no way to salvage her reputation in the General's eyes, so she straightens to her fullest height and states proudly, "I'm compromised." All eyes turn to her, shock evident in each face, save for Chuck's. There's a measured smile behind his eyes, as though he was just waiting for her to catch on and join in. "Working to maintain a cover relationship without crossing professional lines has been the most emotionally and physically challenging part of the Intersect detail. If the next agent is going to be more successful than me, then I think it's best to ease her into the fold, starting with straight mission work. I can handle Chuck's security outside of missions keeping our cover intact." At Beckman's speculative look Sarah counter's boldly, "I'm better motivated…now more than ever."

She crosses her arms over her chest, surprised by Walker's brashness, the Intersect's apparent detachment, and most interestingly, Major Casey's support. The results from Team Bartowski have been nothing short of stellar, but she's all too aware of how dangerous emotions can be in a covert world. "The new agent will be arriving the day after tomorrow. We'll reconvene at that time and I will render my final decision on assignment details."

As the screen goes black Casey turns to the pair, "What the hell was that all about?"

Sarah's answer is more akin to a question, "Buying us time." Chuck nods, taking her hand.

"Ugh!" Casey rolls his eyes with disdain, "Tell me I didn't just jeopardize my career so that you two could spend more time doing the horizontal mambo before Walker gets reassigned?"

"Big guy," Chuck claps Casey on the shoulder and swiftly removes his friendly grip, "Have a little faith."

"I don't do faith. I work in intelligence because I like being informed, so spill it." Casey takes an imposing step forward, "What's so important about the next 48 hours? Do you really think she's going to change her mind?"

Chuck smiles enigmatically, "Not exactly."

"Mr. Carmichael."

Chuck suppresses his innate instinct to jump at the sudden appearance of his contact. He schools his features and gestures for his guest to take the opposite seat.

"I don't know that it's wise for us to meet like this, given what you're asking me to do."

Chuck squirms a little uncomfortably in his seat, but stops fidgeting when his companion quirks an eyebrow at his obvious disquiet.

"There's still time to back out. Nothing's been set in motion yet." He leans forward, gauging the young man's conviction to this course of action, "Say the word and I'll disappear and we never even had this conversation."

The memory of Sarah smiling down at him strengthens his resolve, "No. This is the only way and it has to happen now." He turns an appraising eye on his inquisitor, "Are you having second thoughts?"

"Not at all," he waves dismissively and smiles more than a bit deviously, "In fact, I'm looking forward to it."

Chuck's face turns stern, "Don't hurt her. The goal is to make her see reason, not to..."

"Agent Carmichael," he stands, signally the end of the lecture. He places a firm grip on Chuck's shoulder as he stands to exit and whispers in a cool tone of rebuke, "I know my mission. Just be sure to remember your side of the bargain."

Chuck nods mutely and hands him a slip of paper with an address and phone number. "When do you expect to…" he struggles with the next words, uncomfortable, but resigned to this path, "…to make contact?"

"It's best if you don't know the details."

It's meant as advice, but as the crowd of café patrons swallows up the retreating man's form, Chuck can't help but ruminate on the repercussions of failure.

Sipping a scotch neat in the LAX airport lounge later that evening, he dials the number provided. On the third ring the connection is established and he smiles languidly as the familiar greeting rolls off his tongue, "Hello Diane."

Author's Note: As stated above, I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter! I've been a little pre-occupied and I kept getting other plot bunnies that demand attention. So what did you think of the Beckman confrontation and our new ally? Emotional warfare is on the horizon folks, as is a new agent…strap in.

Reviews are always appreciated. Even if you think I suck, that's fine as long as you tell me why. Thanks for reading…cheers!